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ACROSS
1 Poet with nothing to indicate one agricultural staple and another (4,7)
7 Engineer posted about ultimate component of network computer (7)
8 Killer caching on-time check (7)
10 Clean dollop of cream in tart (5)
11 Follow end of conversation in Filipino language (3,5)
13 In Old English, writes identical password (4,6)
14 Flip the middle of final law exam (4)
16 Approach conscientious objector near Maine (4)
18 Currency I scrutinize for religious man (10)
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20 Determined to take back failure with native of Western mountains (8)
22 Bone somewhat inverted outside center of joint (5)
24 Marker with minimal movement of tail for dog (4-3)
25 I therefore drink something found in a physics lab (7)
26 Minnesota Republicans introducing a particular female, say (6,5)
DOWN
1 Riding wild horse off the boat (7)
2 Seat broken by chance* (8)
3 Evoke piece involving hat (4)
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4 Celebrating Pacino and intending to host hundreds (10)
5 Gossip, verily, embracing the New Testament (5)
6 Fields of grass, as mowed haphazardly (7)
7 Throws a club at the last of Thin Mints (11)
9 Singer nearby can blast (11)
12 Quotation from Socrates: “Crito, I require a writing desk” (10)
15 An old-fashioned way to listen to music from instrument found around court jester’s rear (8)
17 Stein hugs Laurel Ford (7)
19 Show disapproval, in case it arrives at the very end (7)
21 Relish part of litter from California city (3,2)
23 Young wosan? (4)
SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3478
ACROSS 1 letter bank 10 2 defs. 11 WIN(TERGRE)E + N (regret anag.) 12 LITER + [m]ARY 13 JIGS + AW 16 CHE(WSOV)ER (vows anag.) 18 rev. 20 ON SET 22 letter bank 24 anag. 26 STAN-D-FOR-[d] 29 DONN(A + SUM + M)ER 30 [g]OWN 31 THEF(OURS)EASONS (safe, honest anag.)
DOWN 2 anag. 3 ON(WARD)S (son anag.) 4 [d]INNER 5 wive[s] anag. 6 V(EGG)IES 7 [s]-LEEK-S 8 initial letters 9 FALLACIOU (anag.) + S 14 WELLS + PRI(N)G 15 [p]ARIA[h] 17 VA-[st/TS] 19 O + UTOF(TOW)N (futon anag.) 21 anag. 23 MA + NTRAS (anag.) 25 VENU[s] + E 27 TE(MP)E 28 “sewer” 29 DO + T
Joshua Kosman and Henri PicciottoJoshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto are The Nation’s puzzlers. To read more about Kosman, click here. To read more about Picciotto, click here. Kosman and Picciotto explain what they’re up to in “Solving The Nation’s Cryptic Crosswords” (also available as a PDF).